Oh my GOSH, I love waffles. We had them a couple of times when we were in Colorado, and no offense to pancakes or anything…but I was reminded just how lovely good waffles are.

Once I got home from the trip, I decided to make waffles.

Then I made them again.

Then I made them again.

Then I made them again.

I fiddled and fiddled (much to my family’s profound bliss) and here’s the resulting recipe, which darn well better be perfect because I’m not making waffles again any time soon. Until tomorrow.

Anyway, next time you have a hankering for waffles, fire up the waffle iron and give these beautiful babies a try. (If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can thin the batter with just a little milk and make pancakes.)

Set a sifter into a bowl.

Add flour…

Baking powder…

Sugar…

And a leetle salt.

In a separate container, measure the milk…

Then separate four eggs, placing the egg whites in a separate bowl…

And adding just 2 of the egg yolks to the milk.

This is really where my fiddling came into play this week. I started with 3 eggs and used all of the whites and yolks. Then I repeated with 3 eggs but only used 2 of the yolks. I ultimately went with 2 yolks and 4 whites because that texture wound up being the most heavenly, although I realize having 2 leftover egg yolks might upset some human beings’ sense of symmetry and order. And for that, I send my love and apologies.

Next, add in a good amount of vanilla for flavor…

Then whisk the mixture together and set it aside.

Note: You can sub buttermilk for milk, or you can add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the milk and let it sit for 5 minutes to turn into buttermilk.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together…

And set it aside.

Next grab a stick of salted butter…

Put it into a microwave-safe bowl…

And nuke it for 30 seconds or so, till the butter’s melted.

Finally, whisk/beat the egg whites…

Until you think your arm has fallen off…

Or until they’re stiff. These actually aren’t to the “stiff” stage yet, as I tried them with soft peaks in this batch of waffles. Ultimately, I decided they needed to be beaten all the way…so just keep going until you think your arm has not only fallen off, but that it’s on the floor in flames.

I think I need to work on my upper body strength.

Now, pour the milk/yolk/vanilla mixture into the sifted dry ingredients…

And very gently stir until they’re just about halfway combined.

Then pour in the melted butter. Now, at first glance, a stick of melted butter may seem like a lot. And that is because a stick of melted butter IS a lot. There’s no getting around it. But from my understanding, this is what sets waffle batter apart from pancake batter: Waffle batter has a higher percentage of fat, which helps the waffles brown more lusciously in the waffle iron, and also helps with the lovely waffle texture. Some recipes use vegetable oil for the fat…but butter is more my wheelhouse, baby.

Again, very gently stir in the butter until it’s just combined.

At the very end, pour in the beaten whites (and remember: yours will be more stiff than these)…

And gently fold the whites into the batter. And by “fold” I definitely mean fold. No vigorous stirring allowed here!

Stop just short of the whites being totally mixed in.

What a nice batter!

Pour the batter into the preheated waffle iron…

Then cook it for its recommended time, which is usually longer than you think it’s going to take. I didn’t let mine go the whole time, but it did turn out to be a good 4-plus minutes.

In other news…I just can’t get away from these repeating numbers.

But that’s another story for another time.

You need that time to ensure that the waffles are nice and deep, deep golden brown and crisp.

Oh, man. I love life.

Now, here’s the most important thing about waffles: You have to serve them immediately. As in, the second they come out of the waffle iron!

So have the extra butter ready…

As well as the warm syrup.

Now, I just said this, but it bears repeating: I love life.

I’m not kidding. I want to marry life.

And these waffles can be my maid of honor.

That was quite possibly the worst metaphor I’ve come up with in quite some time.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the waffle iron to the regular setting.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, 2 egg yolks, and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and very gently stir until halfway combined. Pour in the melted butter and continue mixing very gently until combined.

In a separate bowl (or using a mixer), beat the egg whites with a whisk until stiff. Slowly fold them into the batter, stopping short of mixing them all the way through.

Scoop the batter into your waffle iron in batches and cook according to its directions (lean toward being a little deep golden and crisp!) Remove and serve immediately with softened butter and warm syrup.

Pam On Wednesday, March 5 at 6:53 pm

Pamala On Wednesday, March 5 at 7:01 pm

Great recipe. My dad always made waffles for Sunday supper when I was a little girl. I put peanut butter on them and let it melt into the “holes”. Then poured on white Karo syrup. Ummm, good memories. I never saw a waffle maker with a selection of types of waffles before.

Sheila Jo Gillingham On Thursday, March 6 at 5:20 am

Holly S. On Friday, March 7 at 12:13 pm

I love these waffles! I have made them twice now, they are my favorite. I am eating one now!

209

Bgirl On Wednesday, March 12 at 1:04 pm

These are so yummy! My toddlers even eat them plain as snacks. I made a few extra batches and froze them. I love waffles. For some reason I ALWAYS burn pancakes, but the waffles made me feel redeemed.

210

sarah grace On Tuesday, March 18 at 7:55 pm

I always say this, my waffle iron was the best $3 I ever spent! Lol I bought a simple, no frills waffle iron at a yard sale a couple years ago, yep, for only $3! Haha. It pays for itself every time I make waffles. I prefer making waffles over pancakes because I just can’t really get the hang of flipping them over at the right time.

211

Emma On Saturday, March 22 at 9:37 am

These waffles are so tasty! I followed the recipe exactly but substituted the flour for gluten free cup4cup flour and they came out perfectly. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!

212

TinaT On Saturday, March 22 at 1:02 pm

Ree, just a comment on your repeating numbers. These numbers have significant meaning, 5 means Gods grace, 555 is God’s grace multiplied. Sounds like God’s grace is being multiplied on you during this time. This is a very good thing.

213

Sim Sears On Thursday, March 27 at 5:44 pm

Wonderful recipe…but when your in a hurry or camping…Bisquick mixed with creme soda (or root beer) instead of water. mix in enough soda for the right consistency…then cook as normal. great flavor and super easy

214

Jessica On Friday, March 28 at 12:40 pm

Made these waffles this morning, but with a twist: switched out 1/4 cup of flour for a 1/4 cup of golden flax seed. (Made it a bit healthier!!) My family loved them, thanks for posting!

215

Lisa L On Sunday, March 30 at 3:47 am

I made these waffles for breakfast today. Topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Delish! Thanks for posting this recipe. Best waffles I’ve made to date.

216

Jennifer Hardt On Sunday, March 30 at 7:49 pm

Made these waffles today and they were awesome!!! Super easy to make, every recipe I made so far by the pioneer women has tasted fantastic.

217

Gracie M On Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 pm

I finally ordered the same waffle iron you have Ree. I am looking forward to trying this recipe soon. My step son and his family are coming soon. They will love it and everyone can make them when they are ready please waffle iron make it o n time.

218

Michelle On Sunday, April 6 at 12:44 pm

Amazing recipe. Made this recipe this morning and everyone agreed they were the best! Thank you!

219

Jewel On Wednesday, April 9 at 7:44 am

Wow. Just…wow. So many signs point to me using this recipe! When I got to the bottom ‘n saw the 555 that did it for me. (All through my pregnancy I kept seeing 555 EVERYWHERE. Then, guess what time my son was born at…yup, 5:55.) Then I noticed this was posted on my birthday.:) Anyhow, I look forward to using this recipe. Thank you!

220

Gracie M On Wednesday, April 9 at 8:45 pm

Ree I fin a lot got my be we breville waffle iron,OMG!!!!!!!! I love this recipe. Thank you!

221

Gracie M On Wednesday, April 9 at 8:47 pm

Stupid auto correct I need to learn to proofread

222

Paisley On Friday, April 11 at 11:45 am

Never mind life, I want to marry those waffles! Hey, you know what is delicious on waffles? Your favorite yogurt. Srsly. The marriage of the hot, crispy waffle with the cold, creamy yogurt? You may want to become a polygamist.

223

Ashley On Wednesday, April 16 at 4:55 pm

Made these for supper, no judgement please haha, absolutely amazing!! I have tried many recipes and this is by far the best. Delicious Ree!

Made these for Easter breakfast this morning and they are amazing! Thanks for the recipe. I will never buy a mix again!

226

elainek On Sunday, April 20 at 4:37 pm

Sound yummy – but in Belgium real waffles are served with powdered sugar and whipped cream or powdered sugar and ice cream and strawberries – try it sometime you’ll love them!!!!!!!

227

Ceil G. On Tuesday, April 22 at 7:30 am

Have had these waffles three times since I saw this. Very good. Went to a friend’s house a couple of weeks ago and they had waffles,; I told them how good the were and they said they were from Red Drummond’s recipes. How about that. I freeze what we don’t eat.

228

Christina On Wednesday, April 23 at 3:12 pm

These waffles were pretty good, but I don’t get why the recipe says it takes 10 minutes of prep time?? Just beating the eggs took me over 10 minutes! I made these waffles for my partner’s birthday, and we barely had time to eat them before he had to leave for work, because it took so long to make prepare. I also would not say they make 8 servings. The batter made 4 waffles in my waffle iron.

229

Dominique On Sunday, April 27 at 8:12 pm

Thanks for the recipe. They came out great! I will never buy another box mix again.

I’ve tried a bunch of waffle recipes from all over the internet, and these were the first ones my wife really liked. Thanks!

231

Dori On Sunday, May 11 at 3:11 pm

Oh Ree – thank you, thank you for this delightful recipe!! I asked for a new Belgian Waffle iron for this Mother’s Day. Your recipe worked perfectly, and everyone voted it a blue ribbon winner in both taste and “classy-looking” categories We did a batch and a half, which was also the perfect time it took to make bacon in the oven, May you enjoy such a blessed Mother’s Day!!

232

carmen .c On Tuesday, May 13 at 11:34 am

Ho,boy,,,,,
I LOVE WAFFLES NOTHING LIKE THIS.ALSO I TRY MOST OF THE OTHERS

RECIPE ARE GOOD.I LIKE TO SEE YOUR SHOWS.

233

Jaime On Saturday, May 17 at 10:52 pm

Just an FYI: we made these this morning in our cast iron stove top waffle maker and they were lovely. My husband misread the recipe, however, and only used 2 egg whites instead of 4. We realized the mistake hours later and I’m hesitant to even try the “real” recipe, ours were so good!

234

Becky Hejka On Tuesday, May 20 at 2:22 pm

I just brought Grandma’s waffle iron down from the attic this week. I can hardly believe what great timing finding this recipe is. It looks delicious, can’t wait to try it. I had to LOL while reading this; ” so just keep going until you think your arm has not only fallen off, but that it’s on the floor in flames.” Thank you for entertaining us and helping us feed ourselves some good grub!

235

Summer On Thursday, May 22 at 11:32 pm

OMG!!! These are the best Waffles ever. I have tried way to many different recipes for Waffles. And these by fare are the best. We make a batch or two on the weekend and eat them for breakfast and then for snacks during the day and the rest of the week. They still tast great the next day. Just pop them in the toaster and off we go. Thanks Ree.

236

rachel On Monday, May 26 at 9:51 am

You’ve outdone yourself with this one! Fantastic recipe. BEST so far! You just cannot get the same taste with boxed waffle mix. It takes a little more time than traditional mixes, but it is SO worth it. The fluffiness of the batter makes a wonderful waffle. I didn’t have any white vinegar to make buttermilk, so I used Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Served it with REAL maple syrup (Not the crappy fake kind) Absolutely delish! Thank you!!!!

237

MamaO On Tuesday, May 27 at 1:26 pm

These waffles turned amazing! We topped it with fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. Yum!!

238

Brenda Brooks On Wednesday, May 28 at 10:04 am

I made these for my grandsons (of course everyone ate them but mostly for them). They gobbled them up (best compliment a nana can get). Don’t fret over the extra egg yolks, my mom had the best chocolate pudding recipe ever and guess what two of the ingredients were…yep two egg Yolks. So they needn’t go to waste.

Brenda Brooks
New Hope, Alabama

239

Rosemary On Saturday, May 31 at 8:44 am

I just discovered this recipe, and since I just bought my first waffle iron last night, I had to try it. (I did switch 1/2 cup of the flour with wheat flour, but that is just a personal preference.). I made one regular batch and then made a batch with fresh strawberries and blueberries. They were a hit!! So good I didn’t even use syrup. Thanks for another amazing recipe!!

Judi L On Saturday, June 7 at 8:55 am

I am always looking for delicious waffle recipes so I gave these a try. So very delicious! I love vanilla too, so always add just a drip (or 2 more). We had these for Sunday morning breakfast. Later in the evening I re-toasted them to re-crisp them and sprinkled confectioners sugar over them. Then I sliced various ice cream flavors, and made waffle sandwiches for dessert! The leftovers were placed in freezer bags, stored in the freezer and didn’t last the week!

243

Dave On Sunday, June 8 at 10:36 am

Make them vegan by subbing rice or almond milk for dairy, coconut oil for butter and flax eggs for chicken eggs.

244

Vette D On Sunday, June 8 at 11:56 pm

I’m from Colorado (maybe the reason I love waffles ) Now days I live in the hot desert of Las Vegas,Nv. Oh it’s sad there are no Waffle Houses around, I miss them so much fresh cooked waffles and lets say their hash browns are just as delish!! And I haven’t got a wafflI iron,on mywish list though….

245

Jo On Wednesday, June 18 at 8:50 am

Made these this morning. To die for!!!
Kids devoured them in record time.
Anyone know if these will be good as a “make ahead” waffle? I’m on a quest to find perfect waffles that I can freeze and pop in the toaster for quick morning breakfasts.